London Free Press: Another city hall-cyclists battle looms over ‘complete streets’ plan

“Other cities use complete streets manuals to build better communities and transportation systems. The Toronto Centre for Active Transportation keeps a running list of those communities across Canada.

Executive director Nancy Smith Lea said London is on the right track with its draft, saying complete streets and Vision Zero principles can complement one another.

“The beauty of a complete streets policy is that it really tries to change the ‘business as usual’ approach we’ve been taking to building streets, which really predominantly looks at how we move cars in the quickest and most efficient way possible,” she said.

It takes time to make changes, she said – the very sentiment that so angers outspoken cyclists and pedestrians in London who are calling for changes to the way London manages its transportation system.

“It’s hard to be patient, especially when people are getting injured and killed on our streets. The complete streets policies and guidelines and the Vision Zero policy — those are really important plans and frameworks and strategies that we need to move forward,” Smith Lea said.